09-26-2004, 03:04 AM

Now, i never get extended anything in terms of service and protection. I feel for about 99% of the time it's a sham, and it shouldn't be like, taken seriously. However I hear a lot of people say that you need it. Any thoughts?

09-26-2004, 05:29 AM

Well, personnally, I never extended any warranty either, and, until know (knock on wood) never had to regret it...

But on the other hand, I know people who always buy extended warranty for expensive stuff, because they had some bad experiences in the past.

I guess there's no general answer if you should or shouldn't go for Apple Care, it's an additional security, just in case.
I mean, it can happen to everyone to have a bad Apple, just like it can happen to get a bad BMW or Mercedes, even if, at their high prices, it shouldn't happen. It's always just a piece of hardware, be it electronic or mechanic.
Doesn't matter if it costs 100,-$ or a 1000,-$ if it breaks, it's useless...and there is no 100% quality warranty.

09-26-2004, 10:12 AM

But doesnt the Mac come with a 1 year warranty? I called Apple the other day for a noob question and the guy asked me about Apple Care. He said i could add it anytime before the year is up on my warranty. This way, you are covered for the first year and you can decide then if the Apple Care is worth it or not.

09-26-2004, 11:41 AM

Dude, GET IT! Its a savior, and probably the only reason why I'm still on the Mac. My 3 hard drive and logic boards were covered, thank the LORD that they were. Without the warranty, they wouldn't have been, and I would have been banned sooner...

09-26-2004, 12:24 PM

Yeah, I just got AppleCare when I bought my PowerBook 4 months ago. It hasn't done anything for me yet, but I'm sure it will in the future. It's all about peace of mind. I seriously suggest getting it.

09-26-2004, 12:38 PM

If you buy using an American Express card, Gold/Platinum MasterCard, or many other credit cards, you'll get another year of warranty coverage free. (Check your card agreement)

Secondly, you can buy AppleCare at any time in the first year of ownership. So unless your original 1-year warranty is running out, there's no rush.

09-27-2004, 05:33 PM

maybe someone on these boards could share an actual experience they've had with sending back a machine under AppleCare? Good or Bad?

I'm at the point in my first year with my PB where I need to decide to extend the warranty ASAP - I like the peace of mind, but the cost involved ($350) is 1/3 of the cost for me to go out and buy a whole new machine on Ebay. If I knew they'd cover some of the more cosmetic problems I'm having with my PB, then I'd totally do it, but from what I hear they won't.

09-27-2004, 06:12 PM

Well, I've read numerous stories about reviewers who say that the turnaround time was like 3 days or something crazily fast like that...

But I've had no personal experience with it.

09-27-2004, 07:49 PM

It's hideously expensive, though. It's like buying another half of a Powerbook!

Usually if something's going to fail, it will fail within the first year.

09-27-2004, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Cloudane

Usually if something's going to fail, it will fail within the first year.

I laughed when reading that, because one of the 3 hard drives I went through died the night I got it.

09-28-2004, 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by Absolute Zero

I laughed when reading that, because one of the 3 hard drives I went through died the night I got it.

Well, Abs, it seems that you really god a Bad Apple...my experience matches what Cloudane said, if it doesn't break during the first year, it will work fine for years...

As yours did break right from the beginning, well, that was already a bad sign...

One thing's for sure, quality control isn't anymore what it was, short development time usually makes the first customers becoming the test dummies... I work in the automotive industrie, and believe me, if you'd know how bad quality car manufacturers quality checks are, you wouldn't buy any car anymore. It applies to ANY car brand, no matter if it's a FIAT or a Mercedes...NEVER buy the first series of a car model!

09-28-2004, 03:41 AM

If I were you Absolute Zero, I would have demanded another PB when the HDD failed on the first damn night. You should actually have a talk to Apple now before it's too late since you have had 3 Hard drive failures and every time your hard drive beeps you have to reformat it.

09-28-2004, 08:23 AM

When I got the iBook, I was happy to shell out the 300+ for the Applecare. That was until I accidentally dropped the laptop and cracked the NIC port. The Apple Store and Apple support would not cover it. Yet recently DELL has been pushing its extended warranty that covers accidental damage.

I'm wondering if Apple will pick up the ball and do the same for AppleCare.

(Apple's refusal to fix the laptop caused me to get an airport card and a wireless router. I refused AppleCare when I got my eMac)

09-28-2004, 09:39 AM

Well, it is not common at all to cover accidental damage...that's the job of an insurance. If Dell does that, they are pretty much the only company I know that do cover such damage. :confused:

09-28-2004, 03:26 PM

You know what, I really don't care anymore. I'm pretty much done with Apple when the warranty on this thing is up and it dies again, or when I can get the money to buy a PC.

My Performa had a dead floppy drive. My iMac has a dead graphics card, which is on the logic board, which costs more than an eMac to repair. My PowerBook had 3 hard drive failures and a logic board failure all in a month. If you know what your doing, you can protect your computer from viruses and spyware, and its as easy as repairing permissions.